Season 1, Episode 1, Part 4: The Firemaker

Aaaaand we're back. This is the concluding episode to this little serial, so I've got high hopes for it, and fully expect to be disappointed. After a couple of establishing shots, we see our heroes being forced back to the cave, where we find out that Beth is dead; Cal claims the unconscious Za did it. The Doctor invents forensics ("This knife has no blood on it"), and provokes Cal into showing off his knife, which has blood on. How clever. He then proceeds to enlist Chesterton's help in starting a good, old-fashioned riot, and the entire tribe of cavemen (and cavewomen, of course) drives Cal away. Za, suddenly conscious, orders the again-prisoners back to the Cave of Skulls, despite Ian's pleading. At least Za is visibly pained; you can tell they brought in only the best actors on this one.

A poorly-lit shot, but notice he's unconscious on a stretcher here. His cuts never seem to bother him later on, while he's KILLING A MAN.

Later on in the cave, we see a touching scene of Za and his lady friend having trouble understanding the main characters' compassion toward him in the previous episode. Unfortunately, it doesn't lead to any sort of revelation; it's either make fire or die for our intrepid heroes. Thankfully, they're trying their hardest, and have worked up a classic bow-and-spindle setup to spin a stick against a plank (or something) to attempt to start one. After Za comes in, they try to explain social reform to him, but to no avail; during the discourse, a fire finally starts. As the sun comes up, everyone else grows impatient.

They're really trying very hard on this "fire" project, but first we need to know just what people want from fire. Is it something you put in your nose?

The editors would like to apologize for the above Douglas Adams reference. Those responsible have been shot.

Seems patience is not a virtue in old pre-society, and leaders are not to be trusted; suddenly, Brian has everyone convinced that Za is setting the prisoners free, while in the Cave of Skulls, Cal (having strangled a guard quite capably) appears and challenges Za in one-on-one combat (not in so many words; they just start fighting).

There's far too many naked man-legs in this scene for the comfort of anyone anywhere.

The hairy, unlikeable one triumphs. Sorry, I should be more clear; Za wins the fight, and kills Cal with a rock. As discontent grows outside, Ian gives Za a torch to show off to the tribe, thereby establishing himself as leader beyond a shadow of a doubt. Za orders the prisoners kept in the cave, but finally for a benign reason; he wants to bring them food and water before they leave (or at least I think so, things are a little unclear).

Mmm, gopher.

After what was probably once a commercial break, the prisoners have been provided with food and water; Za inquires after their comfort, telling them that their tribes will join together - seems nobody's leaving yet. Susan's macabre little mind comes up with an...interesting solution, planting a skull atop a torch. Ian fleshes out the idea: "It looks almost...dead! [...] For all intents and purposes...we're going to die."

Really, look at Susan's face. The girl needs professional help before she kills again.

Seems they've made four freaky little statues after Susan's style of the skull-on-a-torch; the cavemen, attracted by a noise, freak right out, and our heroes run off thanks to the distraction. The cavemen soon see through the clever ruse and pursue through the night with torches. Fortunately, nothing else interesting happens; everyone important makes it back to the TARDIS safely, and the cavemen watch dumbfounded as it vanishes clumsily in a bad fade. Inside, the Doctor explains that, without proper data on where they left from, he's got no idea where they're headed, either; the video screen reveals only freaky-looking trees. As everyone goes to clean up, the radiation meter edges ominously into the blinky DANGER zone, and the episode concludes.

Running away solves everything!

If I know the writers of this show, this likely won't be mentioned again.

A review proper: Well, for an ending it wasn't very satisfying. The Doctor didn't seem to so much fix the problems of the tribe as make an excuse to run away, the effects were lackluster, and there were several points where the inadequacy of the cameras used was evident; the flames would leave a freaky afterimage that proves to be quite distracting, even in the short term. The shoestring budget the producers were working with must have been pretty strict that they couldn't clean up shots with a distracting lighting effect. Worry not; the next serial introduces what will be...um, will already have become...fine. IS a legend of small-screen sci-fi.

I don't even know how that would happen without a digital camera.